Ethiopian Airlines bets on Hyderabad’s medical tourism with launch of direct flights connecting Addis Ababa

Teklehaimanot G. Yohannes, managing director International Services Ethiopian Airlines Group, pose for a photograph after the announcement of the addition of a new passenger route to Hyderabad, on Tuesday (June 17, 2025).
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Tapping into Hyderabad’s growing reputation as a medical tourism hub, Ethiopian Airlines has launched a new direct air route connecting the city with Addis Ababa, with plans to channel inbound patients from across Africa to hospitals in Telangana.

Thrice-weekly service

The thrice-weekly service, which began on June 16 from Addis Ababa and on June 17 from Hyderabad, is part of Africa’s largest airline’s expanding India network. The carrier will operate flight ET 682 from Addis Ababa to Hyderabad on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, with return flight ET 683 departing from Hyderabad on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Teklehaimanot G Yohannes, managing director of International Services at Ethiopian Airlines Group, told The Hindu that medical travel is emerging as a key growth area for the airline in India.

Relations with major hospitals in India

“Medical tourism is indeed a growing opportunity. We already have established relationships with major hospitals in India, including a few in Hyderabad. Additionally, we operate a division called Ethiopian Holidays, which also promotes medical travel. We are in the process of developing a dedicated medical tourism package, which will soon be launched. Once finalised and approved by our headquarters, this initiative is expected to further boost inbound travel to Hyderabad for medical treatment,” he said.

The airline’s move comes at a time when Hyderabad’s public and private hospitals are increasingly attracting patients from African countries for specialised treatment in cardiology, oncology, nephrology and organ transplants.

Mr. Yohannes noted that the airline’s relationship with Hyderabad began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it started operating cargo charters carrying critical medical supplies. “That effort evolved into regular cargo operations. Today, we continue to transport pharma and IT-related shipments from Hyderabad. While pharma is not always about high volume, it demands precision and cold-chain reliability. To that end, we have state-of-the-art cold storage facilities in Addis Ababa and our own temperature-controlled pharma containers, ensuring integrity from origin to destination.”

Responding to recent concerns over aviation safety following the Air India flight 171 crash involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, Mr. Yohannes said, “We operate 29 of the same aircraft type. That said, aviation remains one of the safest and fastest modes of transportation. We have not encountered any major issues with our fleet. The incident in India is unfortunate, but we continue to maintain rigorous safety and maintenance standards. Passenger safety is our top priority.”